Lands, physical planning issues should be directed respectively

MINISTER of Lands and Physical Planning John Rosso told Parliament yesterday that all urban development matters for National Capital District (NDC) should be referred to the NCD physical planning board.
He said any questions regarding soil and sediments in the city, and the developments, should be directed to the physical planning for Port Moresby.
“All physical approvals planning for Port Moresby comes under NCD, all physical approvals, zoning of height of buildings and retention walls etc, the approval must be sought from the physical planning,” he told Parliament.
“Physical planning comes through Lands Department but we have decentralised the authority to the NCDC physical planning board who does all the planning.”
On the issue of Urban Development Lease (UDL), Rosso said there had not been any issued because there was no board sitting.
“We have tried to put a stop to it so that when the physical planning issues UDLs, people will apply and make use of that, must have the financial capacity.
“We reduced the footprints of 80- 100 hectares UDLs to 10-20 hectares instead of four or five of the same people who are supposed to be getting land.
“We have been working with the NCD governor to recover a lot of land, especially in our parks, including the Kone Tigers Oval. We have successfully managed to sort out that under the deed of agreement so the Kone Tigers Oval now returns to the Kone Tigers management. The controversial issue has been rectified and we have already briefed NCD Governor Powes Parkop and the field and park will be returned to Kone Tigers management.